"Boss, something's happened, something's happened."
A panicked-looking guy rushed into the private room and shouted at Shen Xiong, who was lounging on the sofa.
Shen Xiong, who had been entertaining friends, immediately scowled.
"What are you yelling about? Can't you see I'm in the middle of a discussion?"
His voice held a hint of anger.
It was no wonder Shen Xiong was upset. For the past two years, his influence in the underworld had reached a plateau, and he had begun to transition towards a more legitimate path.
In the process of going legitimate, he had consciously or unconsciously tried to cultivate a sense of composure and steadiness.
To have his subordinate burst in so boisterously while he was in conversation with friends was a serious loss of face.
If it weren't for the fact that the subordinate had been with him for over a decade, Shen Xiong would have slapped him across the face on the spot.
"Alright, then it's settled as you said. We brothers trust each other. I have a date with my wife to go shopping later, so I'll be leaving now."
The man sitting opposite Shen Xiong saw the anxious expression on his subordinate's face and realized it must be something important.
Since they had finished their discussion, he used this as an opportunity to announce his departure.
"Apologies, Brother Qi, I'll find you for a drink in a couple of days."
Shen Xiong immediately stood up and escorted his friend to the door.
When he returned to the private room, he asked in a stern tone, "What happened? Why the commotion?"
"Brother Xiong, Yak has been severely injured and is currently in the hospital fighting for his life."
The subordinate quickly relayed the news.
"What!"
"Such a serious matter, why didn't you say so earlier? Go to the hospital immediately!"
Shen Xiong's face contorted with alarm at his subordinate's words. He immediately turned and headed for the exit.
The subordinate who had reported the news, however, felt quite wronged.
It was Shen Xiong who had just chided him for being loud and impatient, and now he was being scolded for not speaking up sooner. Being a subordinate was truly a difficult job.
However, these thoughts were only dared to be muttered under his breath.
Seeing Shen Xiong striding out, he hurried to follow.
By the time they reached the entrance of the club, two cars were already waiting.
As Shen Xiong emerged, someone by the second car immediately opened the rear door for him.
This was a move Shen Xiong had learned from the big shots he saw on television.
After the subordinate who had reported the incident also got into the car, Shen Xiong immediately asked him which hospital Yak had been taken to and then instructed the driver to set off.
Once the car was moving, Shen Xiong began to inquire about what had happened from the subordinate sitting in the front passenger seat.
"Actually, I don't know exactly what happened. Originally, Yak and I were supposed to go to the establishment to collect debts today, but something came up at home, so I asked Yak to go ahead. Who would have thought that when I arrived at the place, I would find Yak lying on the ground covered in blood, and the establishment had been trashed."
After some time had passed, the subordinate's emotions had somewhat calmed down.
Now that Shen Xiong asked, he slowly recounted what he knew.
Shen Xiong listened to his subordinate's account, lit a cigarette, and remained silent for a long time.
Something felt off about this incident.
Firstly, regardless of how discreet his underground establishment was, it was supposedly impossible for outsiders to find. Secondly, Yak was a master from Siam that he had specifically hired at a high salary. He had previously won the Muay Thai King's gold belt in Siam for two consecutive years.
Such a master had been beaten into severe condition?
Before Shen Xiong could fully process the implications of the situation, the car had already arrived at the hospital.
Given that it was a hospital and Shen Xiong's recent efforts to go legitimate, he adopted a low-key approach.
He brought only two subordinates with him. Led by the reporting subordinate, they inquired about Yak's operating room and personally waited outside.
After more than an hour, the red light above the operating room finally extinguished.
A moment later, a doctor in a white coat emerged with a nurse.
"What are you people doing here?"
The doctor frowned slightly upon seeing Shen Xiong and the others waiting at the door.
Shen Xiong stepped forward, "Doctor, the person inside is my good brother. How is he?"
Hearing Shen Xiong state that he was the injured person's brother, the doctor's frown eased.
"The patient inside is out of danger, but his right hand could not be saved. I hope you can communicate with the patient as soon as possible and proceed with the amputation surgery."
With that, the doctor asked Shen Xiong and the others to wait in the ward and not to linger outside the operating room.
After Shen Xiong and his men located the ward indicated by the doctor, Yak, who had just undergone surgery, was already being brought to the bed.
"Yak, Yak, how are you?"
Shen Xiong, accompanied by his subordinates, entered the ward and walked directly towards Yak on the hospital bed.
At this moment, Yak, lying on the bed, was deathly pale, his body covered by the hospital's characteristic thin white blanket.
"Brother Xiong, I'm afraid I can no longer protect you. Although the doctor didn't tell me, I know my hand is probably lost."
Yak, lying in bed, glanced at Shen Xiong, then stared at his right side.
His right hand had no sensation at all. Yak wasn't unintelligent and naturally realized what had happened.
Seeing Yak's condition, Shen Xiong felt a pang of sadness.
Although Yak was merely a bodyguard he had hired, he had saved his life several times over the years.
Furthermore, people's hearts are flesh and blood, and after spending so much time together, a deep friendship had formed between them.
Therefore, upon learning from the doctor that Yak's arm had to be amputated and seeing his current pathetic state, Shen Xiong felt genuinely distressed.
If it were another boss, they would probably be more concerned about the business of their underground establishment first.
Thinking about the business, Shen Xiong suddenly asked, "Yak, what exactly happened at the establishment? Who beat you up?"
"As soon as I arrived at the establishment, a few people rushed in. They were beating people and smashing things. My first instinct was to stop them. Initially, I managed to take down a few of them, but then a man specifically targeted me. I used all my strength, but I was still no match for him."
Upon hearing Shen Xiong's question, Yak recounted the events truthfully.
Shen Xiong listened, his brow furrowed deeply. How did these people discover the location of his hidden establishment? Moreover, someone among them was able to severely injure Yak. Who could they be?
Subsequently, Shen Xiong asked for more details. Yak had just undergone surgery, and the anesthesia had not fully worn off, so the specific details were still hazy.
As for the person who injured him, Yak only remembered that the man was around thirty years old, of average height, and had a common face. He couldn't recall anything else.
"Alright, I understand. Yak, you focus on recovering in the hospital; don't worry about anything else. And rest assured, I, Shen Xiong, am a loyal person. Regardless of what you become in the future, as long as you're willing to stay with me, I will take care of you."
After asking all he needed to, Shen Xiong comforted Yak, telling him not to overthink things.
Yak nodded gratefully at Shen Xiong's words.
Shen Xiong then left two men to look after him and walked out of the ward with the driver.
Ring ring.
Ring ring.
As soon as Shen Xiong exited the ward and before he reached the elevator, the phone in his pocket rang.
"How is it, Boss Shen? Your subordinate isn't dead, is he?"
As soon as Shen Xiong answered the call, a sinister voice came from the other end.
"Who are you!"
The other party was asking if his subordinate was dead?
Could it be the person who had trashed his establishment and injured Yak?
Shen Xiong's mind raced. This thought immediately leaped into his mind.